Hip Resurfacing Better for Active Patients

Hip resurfacing, a new alternative for total hip replacement, offers an innovative option for patients suffering from hip pain who do not want to give up their active lifestyle.

The Birmingham hip-resurfacing system, manufactured by the Orthopaedic Reconstruction Division of Smith & Nephew (Memphis, TN, USA) is a smooth chrome-cobalt ball-and-socket joint that preserves more of the patient's natural bone structures and stability, covering the joint's surfaces with an all-metal implant that more closely resembles a tooth cap than a hip implant. This approach reduces post-operative risks of dislocation and inaccurate leg length, and because the hip resurfacing system is an all-metal implant, it has the potential to last longer than traditional hip implants that use a metal ball and a plastic socket. The system has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

While total hip replacement involves the removal of the entire femoral head and neck, hip resurfacing leaves the head and neck untouched. It is the neck length and angle that determine the natural length of a patient's leg after surgery, and since it is not removed and replaced with an artificial device during the resurfacing procedure, there is a greater likelihood of maintaining accurate leg length. While the implant closely matches the size of a patient's natural femoral head, it is substantially larger than the femoral head of a traditional total hip replacement implant, translating to greater stability in the new joint, and decreasing the chance of dislocation of the implant after surgery.

"Hip resurfacing is ideal for many of my young, active patients who suffer from hip pain. As we've seen greater numbers of younger patients and older patients that are physically active, there's been an increased need for an alternative to total hip replacement that accommodates their age and lifestyle,” said Dr. William B. Macaulay, director of the Center for Hip and Knee Replacement at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia (NY, USA).

The plastic socket that replaces the acetabelum in traditional hip replacements wears down over time, and often needs to be replaced surgically.



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